Window drive mechanism



Nov. 6, 1962 w. G. HoAG ETAL 3,062,527

WINDOW DRIVE MECHANISM '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1958 W. G. HOAG ETAL WINDOW DRIVE MECHANISM Nov. 6, 1962 Filed June 25, 1958 '5 Sheets-Sheer?I 2 INVENTORJ @l AQRNEX V Nov. 6, 1962 w. G. HoAG r-:TAL 3,062,527

WINDOW DRIVE MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR5 W A TTORlES Y.

United States 3,062,527 WINDGW DRIVE MECHANISM William G. Hoag, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Thomas E.

Lohr, Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 23, 1958, Ser. No. 743,623 4 Claims. (Cl. 268-121) This invention relates to window drive mechanisms and more particularly to ventilator window drive mechanisms.

The mechanism of this invention is power operated for moving a swingable ventilator window between open and closed positions and includes several distinct features and improvements.

One of the features of the mechanism of this invention lies in the coupling arrangement between the lower pivot shaft of the ventilator window and the power operating means. In the past, it has been common to ixedly secure the lower pivot shaft of the ventilator window to the power operating means, and this has often caused problems since the ventilator window must be accurately located within the window opening in the body or door window frame and the power operating means must be accurately located within the body or door well in order to be secured to the mounting provisions therein. Since the body or door window frame and the mounting provisions within the body or door well are manufactured under normal manufacturing tolerances, it may not be possible to both accurately locate the window within the window opening and accurately locate the power operating means with respect to its mounting provisions.

This invention solves this problem by slidably mounting the lower pivot shaft on the body or door frame and providing a slidable connection between the power operating means and the pivot shaft of the ventilator window so that the pivot shaft and window may be adjusted independently of the power operating means. This feature of the invention further includes shaft support means adjustably supported on the body and rotatably secured to the pivot shaft to adjustably tix the axial position of the shaft relative to power operating means and rotatably mount the shaft on the body or door.

Another feature of this invention resides in the stop means for locating the ventilator window in open position. As is common in door ventilator windows, the upper and lower edge portions of the Ventilator window cross over the sealing weather strips during movement of the window to an open position. The weather strips are arranged so that the window may cross over them, but if the window moves beyond a desired open position, the weather strips are often torn or abraded due to this movement of the window beyond its desired open position. In order to prevent any movement of the window beyond its desired open position, this invention provides a stop arm which is rotatable with the pivot shaft of the ventilator window and engageable with a resilient stop mounted on the body or door when the window has reached an open position to thereby accurately locate the window in this position. The pivot shaft is axially adjustable relative to the stop arm in order to further carry out the first feature of this invention.

A further feature of this invention resides in the resilient torsional coupling means of the motor gear reduction unit which interconnects the electric motor power actuator and the pivot shaft of the ventilator window. This coupling provides a resilient drive between the motor gear reduction unit and the window gear reduction unit and absorbs motor armature overtravel when the ventilator window has reached a limit position.

These andother features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings; wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational View of a vehicle body having a ventilator window movable between open and closed positions by a ventilator window drive mechanism according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated generally by line 2 2 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 3 is a partially broken away view taken along the plane indicated generally by line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view taken along the plane indicated generally by line 4 4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a view, partially broken away, taken along the plane indicated generally by line 5 5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane indicated by line 6 6 of FIGURE 5. Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body 10 includes a front door 12 having an upper door frame 14 defining a window opening 16. The rear portion of the window opening 16 is opened and closed by a vertically movable door window 18 which is movable between a closed position as shown and an open position wherein the window 18 is disposed within the door well. The forward portion of the window opening 16 is opened and closed by a ventilator window 2t) which is swingable about a vertically disposed axis between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown, wherein the window 20 is disposed transverse of the plane of the opening 16, with the forward edge portion of the window Ztl swinging inboard of the body and the'rearward edge portion thereof swinging outboard of the body. The pivotal axis for the window 20 is defined by upper and lower axially aligned pivot shafts, only the lower shaft 22 being shown.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, door 12 includes a door outer panel 24 and a door inner panel 26 which define the door well 28. The inner panel 26 mounts a support panel 30 which is joined to the door outer panel by means of juxtaposed welded flanges 32 on each of the panels. The panel 30 supports a bracket 34 which mounts a weatherstrip 36 to seal the lower edge portion of the ventilator window 20 in its closed position. Bracket 34 is bolted to panel 30 at 38.

A support bracket 40 includes a lateral flange 42 which is apertured at 44 to freely receive shaft 22 therethrough and is bolted at 38 to the panel 30 in order to iixedly mount the bracket on the door. Bracket 40 further includes a laterally extending offset flange 46. The bracket 40 is bolted at 48 to offset flanges Sil of a generally U- shaped bracket S2, the U-section of which freely receives the pivot shaft 22, as best shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Bracket S2 also includes laterally extending anges 54 which are welded or otherwise xedly secured to a generally U-shaped bracket 56, best shown in FIG- URE 5.

Bracket 56 includes a pair of lateral flanges 58 mounting rubber bumpers 60 which engage panel 30, as best shown in FIGURE 4, and a pair of lateral flanges 62 which are bolted at 64 to the motor gear reduction unit 66, which will be further described. It can be seen that the brackets 40, 52 and 54 are rigidly secured to each other and that the bracket 40 is further fixedly secured to the door at 3S.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing, the adjusting means for adjusting the relationship of the shaft 22 to these brackets and to the power operating means will now be described. A shaft support bracket 68 includes an upper flanges 70 which is slotted at 72 to receive an annular groove 74 provided in the shaft 22. Flange 70 is further provided with a pair of offset tabs 76 which slidably engage the sides of the U section of bracket S2, with the bracket 68 slidably engaging the base of this U section. The bracket 68 is provided with a pair of vertically disposed slots 78 and bolt 88 extend through these slots and are threated into the base wall of the U section of bracket 51 in order to adjustably secure the bracket 68 to the bracket 52. It can be seen that if the bolts 8i) are loosened, the bracket 68 may be moved relative to the U section of bracket 52 and the engagement of the sides of the slot 72 of bracket 68 with the opposite walls of the annular groove 74 of shaft 22 will axially shift the shaft relative to the bracket 52 and also the brackets 4G and 56. Since shaft 22 is xed to window 20, the window may be shifted upwardly and downwardly with respect to the forward portion of the window opening 16 of the door to accurately locate the window within opening and with respect to the sealing weather strips. This is one of the features of this invention.

In order to hold the window 2t) in an open position, a friction brake is provided which cooperates with the power operating means. This friction brake includes an offset 82 provided in bracket 40, FIGURE 2, and engaging the shaft 22, and a strap 84 having one end thereof bolted at 86 to flange 46 and the other end thereof being offset and extending through a slot 88 provided in bracket 40, as best shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, a motor support angle bracket 90 is bolted at 64 to one of the flanges 62 of bracket 56. This bracket supports a series wound electric motor 92 which is bolted thereto at 94. The end of the armature shaft 96 of the motor is of D-shape and is received within a complementary shaped opening in one end of a rubber torsion coupling 98. The coupling 98 also includes a D-shaped opening in the other end thereof which receives the complementary shaped shaft 100 of a worm 182.

The motor gear reduction unit 66 includes a housing having a lower cup shaped housing member 184 having a lateral flange 105 and an upper cover member 106 complementary to member 104 and flange 105 thereof. The housing member 104 includes threaded bosses 108, FIGURE 4, which receive the bolts 64 securing the flanges 62 of bracket 56 to the upper cover member 106 and also securing the upper cover member to the lower cup shaped housing member 104 and flange 105 thereof. An offset bracket 110 is secured to one of the bolts 64 and bolted at 112 to panel 30 to additionally support the drive mechanism within the door well 28.

The worm 182 is rotatably mounted in a suitable manner within a longitudinal boss 114 of housing member 104 and meshes with a worm wheel 116 having a central bore 118 freely receiving a drive shaft 120. The worm wheel 116 is supported within the housing member 104 by a continuous annular rib 121 on the base wall thereof and the lower end of the shaft 120 is rotatably supported within the housing member 4 by a bushing 122 fixed within a boss 123 thereof. The shaft 120 includes a portion 124 of double D shape which is slidably and non-rotatably received within a complementary shaped opening of a drive plate 126. The drive plate 126 furnishes the driving connection between the worm wheel 116 and the shaft 120 and is secured to the worm wheel by means of a neoprene rubber torsion coupling 127 which is bonded to the worm wheel and includes a cup-shaped upper ybore receiving the plate 126 and being bonded thereto. Thus there is no dire-ct mechanical drive connection between the Worm wheel and the drive shaft 120.

The upper end of the shaft 120 is rotatably supported within an apertured boss 128 of cover member 186, and an output pinion 130 is xedly secured to the upper end of the shaft outwardly of boss 128 and bears against a thrust washer 131 seating on the boss.

The cover member 106 is provided with a flanged opening 132 which is oifset from the apertured boss 128 and receives a bushing 133. The bushing 133 rotatably receives the hub 134 of a pinion gear 136 to rotatably mount this gear on the gear lreduction unit for meshing engagement with output pinion 130. As best shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, the pinion gear 136 and its hub 134 are provided with a splined bore 138 which slidably and nonrotatably receives the splined lower end 140 of the pivot shaft 22 in order to provide a driving connection between the output pinion 130 and the pivot shaft. Bracket 56 is further provided with a flanged opening 142 which rotatably received the hub 1414 of a stop arm 146, the free end of which is provided with a depending tab 14S for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The tab 148 is adapted to engage a resilient stop 158, FEGURES 2, 3 and 6, when the window 20 has reached a desired open position, and this stop will now be described. The stop 150 includes a neoprene rubber block 152 having a generally square shaped opening 154 in the lower surface thereof. The opening 154 receives a generally square nylon cup 156, which is bonded to the rubber block and receives a lug 158 on the cover member 196 so as to locate the stop 150 on the cover member in backing engagement with bracket 56. One end of the rubber block 152 is of generally arcuate shape and is provided with a generally arcuately shaped metal striking plate 168 which is bonded thereto and is adapted to be engaged by the tab 148 of arm 146 when the window 28 has reached the desired open position to stall motor 92.

It can be seen that upon rotation of the electric motor 92 in the desired direction to open window 20, the Worm 102 will drive the worm wheel 116. The worm wheel will resiliently drive shaft 128 by means of the plate member 126 and the rubber torsion coupling 127, and the meshing engagement of the pinion 130 with the pinion gear 136 will rotate the pivot shaft 22 of the window 20 and move the window 21D to an open position. The arm 146 will rotate with the shaft 22 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FGURE 6, and when the window 20 has reached open position the tab 148 of the arm will engage the striker plate 168 of the rubber block 152 to thereby resiliently stop further opening movement of the window and accurately locate the window in its open position. Upon engagement of the tab 148 with the striker plate 161D, the motor 92 will be stalled, and overtravel of the armature of the motor caused by the inertial movement thereof will be absorbed by the rubber torsion couplings 98 and 127 and also by rubber block 152.

Upon operation of the motor in a reverse direction to move the window 20 from its open position to its closed position, the arm 146 will swing out of engagement with the stop 150 to its position as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings, and when the window has reached a closed position in sealing engagement with the weather strips on the window opening, a stall torque will again be applied to the motor 92 to stop the motor. It will be understood, of course, that the coupling 98 between the motor and the worm 162 and the coupling 127 between the worm wheel 116 and the drive plate 126 will again absorb any overtravel caused by inertial movement of the motor armature after the motor is stopped.

Since the lower end of the pivot shaft 22 has a splined connection with the arm 146 and the pinion gear 136, the shaft 22 can be easily adjusted relative to the pinion gear and to the arm by means of the bracket 68, as previously described, Without in any manner disturbing the mounting of the motor and gear reduction unit 66 on the body.

Thus this invention provides an improved vehicle window regulator mechanism which allows a ventilator window to be adjusted relative to the window opening independently of any adjustment of the drive mechanism relative to its support member. Additionally the drive mechanism includes resilient couplings to take up any overtravel of the motor armature when the window reaches its desired open or closed position.

We claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body having a window opening .therein and a swingable ventilation Window for opening and closing said opening, a window drive mechanism comprising, a window pivot shaft slidably and rotatably mounted on said body and secured to said window, drive means mounted on -said body for rotating said shaft, means slidably coupling said shaft to said drive means and for rotating said shaft to thereby swing said window between open and closed positions, said means permitting axial movement of said shaft relative to said body and to 4said drive means and simultaneous movement of said window within said opening, a support mounted on said body, a shaft support member slidably mounted on said support for axially supporting and locating said shaft, and means adjustably securing said support member to said support to additionally rotatably mount said shaft on said support and adjustably tix the axial position thereof relative to said drive means and said body and simultaneously adjustably x the position of said window within said opening.

2. In combination with a vehicle body having a window opening therein and a swingable ventilation window for opening and closing said opening, a window drive mechanism comprising, a window pivot shaft slidably and rotatably mounted on said body and secured to said window, drive means mounted on said body for rotating said shaft, means slidably coupling said shaft to said drive means and for rotating said shaft lto thereby swing said window between open and closed positions, said means permitting axial movement of said shaft relative to said body and to said drive means and simultaneous movement of said window within said opening, a channel support mounted on said body and freely receiving said shaft therein, a shaft support member slidably mounted on said support `for axially supporting and locating said shaft, and means adjustably mounting said support member on said support to rotatably mount said shaft on said support and x the axial position thereof relative to said drive means and said body and simultaneously adjustably tix the position of said window within said opening.

3. In combination with a vehicle body having a window opening -therein and a window for opening and closing said opening, a window drive mechanism comprising, a pivot shaft secured to said window, means secured to said body and rotatably mounting said shaft thereon to swingably mount said window on said body, power operated means mounted on said body and including a gear housing having opposite spaced walls, a drive shaft extending between said walls and rotatably mounted therein, a drive gear for driving said drive shaft, said drive gear being rotatably supported by one of said walls and having a central aperture freely rotatably receiving said drive shaft,

a driven member slidably and non-rotatably secured to said drive shaft in axially spaced relationship to said drive gear, a disk of elastomeric material located axially between said gear and said driven member and being bonded thereto for resiliently transmitting torque therebetween to rotate said drive shaft, means operatively interconnecting said drive shaft and said pivot shaft, and a power actuator mounted on said body and operatively connected to said gear.

4. In combination with a vehicle body having a window opening therein and a window for opening and closing said opening, a window drive mechanism comprising, a pivot shaft slidably and rotatably mounted on said body and secured .to said window, means secured to said body and rotatably mounting and axially locating said shaft thereon to swingably mount said Window on said body, power operated means mounted on said body and including a gear housing having opposite spaced walls, a drive shaft extending between said walls and rotatably mounted therein, a drive gear rotatably supported by one of said walls and having a central aperture freely rotatably receiving said drive shaft, a driven member slidably and nonrotatably secured to said drive shaft in axially spaced relationship to said drive gear, torsional coupling means located axially between and operatively interconnecting said gear and said driven member for resiliently transmitting torque therebetween to rotate said drive shaft, a power actuator mounted on said body and operatively secured to said gear, an intermediate gear fixed to said drive shaft, an output gear rotatably mounted on said housing and meshing with said intermediate gear, means slidably and non-rotatably coupling said output gear and said pivot shaft, a stop `arm slidably and non-rotatably coupled to said pivot shaft, and .a resilient stop engageable by said arm upon rotation of said pivot shaft and cooperating with said torsional coupling means to take up overtravel of said power actuator.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,388 Miller Jan. 19, 1926 2,060,565 Geyer Nov. 10, 1936 2,069,611 Kestel Feb. 2, 1937 2,154,245 Levey Apr. 11, 1939 2,308,057 lCooley Jan. 12, 1943 2,599,744 Brundage June 10, 1952 '2,605,645 Thorpe et al Aug. 5, 1952 2,693,355 Puccinelli Nov. 2, 1954 2,739,462 Wincenciak Mar. 27, 1956 2,799,495 Wubbe July 16, 1957 

